MORGANTOWN - There was a time when Boogie Allen and Guesly Dervilwere the future of West Virginia's secondary. There also was a time -and a much longer one, in fact - when it seemed that future maynever materialize.
"Sometimes," Dervil said, "things happen. You're put in certainsituations and you have to do something to show everyone who youreally are. It's about working hard and having faith."
As WVU's cornerbacks developed a peculiar habit of chasing afterreceivers in 2006, Allen and Dervil were working on the side waitingtheir chances.
Freshmen from Jacksonville, Fla., who only got to know oneanother as roommates that year, they avoided redshirts and figuredinto the team's plans in the defensive backfield. Both saw the fieldright away on special teams and got to play a little corner as theylearned the college game.
They were on the field together and playing prominent rolesagainst Cincinnati in the ninth game of the season. Dervil started,Allen played. Each had an interception. Dervil started the next gameagainst Pitt and Allen again was used frequently.
Perhaps it was premature to be overly excited, but there were twofreshmen who would one day be sophomores, then juniors andeventually seniors for the WVU pass defense. In college football,that can't be underestimated.
There was excitement, particularly for Dervil, who was a lateaddition to the team after an academic falling-out with Illinois,where he was part of a very good recruiting class.
"It was fun," Dervil said. "These two Florida boys, these twofreshmen, were out there making plays."
Neither started at corner after that. Heck, of the combined 48games the two played the past two seasons, Allen has the only start... and that was in the season opener against Villanova last year -as a safety.
Neither can provide much in the line of an explanation.
"We were young guys and we had a lot of seniors back then," Allensaid. "We had to wait our turn at first. They squeezed us into somethird-down packages and we got to play a good bit and we did allright, but sometimes things happen to you."
Sometimes those things make you think.
"We had to get better," Allen said.
They have, though it's taken time and patience.
"I decided I'd do whatever the team needed," Dervil said. "Iwanted to be a part of a winning team. I told myself that's why Iplay."
As the 2009 season approaches, they are again two very importantplayers as it pertains to WVU's success, though in roles the pastcould not have predicted.
Coaches say Dervil was perhaps most improved offensive ordefensive player from the start of spring practice to the end offall camp. He remains an unheralded special teams standout onkickoff and punt coverage and is a backup cornerback behind KeithTandy, who has one career start.
And when WVU goes to its third-down SWAT package in Saturday'sseason opener against Liberty, Dervil will probably play a safetyposition.
"It's not like when I first got here," Dervil said. "But I'm ateam person. It's not an individual thing with me. I love the game,no matter where I'm playing."
Allen is still a safety and now one of the most versatile playerson defense. He's played all three safety spots and after startinglast season at spur safety could start Saturday at bandit.
Life is different, but they've found something in common.
"The combination of all the things I've been through," Allensaid, "I feel like I'm a more complete player now because of it."
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